Sign



.oct. 20, 1942. q MARlNQNE 2,299,331

SIGN

Filed NOV. 7, 1939 I ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1942 UNITED, STATESPATENT OFFICE' SIGN Camillo Marinone, New York,- N. Y.

Application November '7, 1939, Serial No. 303,218

Claims.

This invention relates to signs and is herein illustrated as embodied inan advertising sign suitable to stand in the windows of retail stores.

Many attempts have been made to provide signs which should be persuasiveon those who read them. One successful attempt of this kind arose fromthe red-colored electrically operated neon sign, but that kind of signis very expensive to build, requires skilled servicing, and consumeselectric current which is not only an item of expense but necessitates aconvenient outlet or other source of current. Other attempts to providepersuasive signs have also depended upon electric current, or havedepended upon mirrors or other devices to reflect or refract brightlights.

According to the present invention no special source of light or poweris ordinarily needed, but ordinary sunlight or even diffused daylight isutilized to produce a shining colored sign. A mercury arc lamp is highlysatisfactory even to produce red fluorescence.

In the form of the invention herein disclosed in some detail theimportant parts or features of the sign are formed of a so-calledsynthetic resin, such as cellulose acetate, and this resin carries,preferably incorporated within its transparent body, a suitablefluorescent material, and the light falling on adjacent parts of thebase which carries the fluorescent resin parts is reflected into thoseparts with the result that the fluorescence is much greater than thatproduced by the direct illumination of the fluorescent resin parts.

As a result the fluorescent resin parts seem to glow with an addedartificial light over and above the light which may prevail in theirenvironment, thus rendering the sign persuasive in a way hitherto deemedimpossible without the actual use of added artificial light. It is foundthat by suitable choice of fluorescent substances and of substanceswhich assist fluorescence, various color effects may be obtained ofwhich the most effective are usually red, yellow and green.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

' In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 shows a sign embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side view.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure l. 7

The sign illustrated includes, for economy's sake, a filler orfoundation plate In faced with a thin veneer II, for which celluloseacetate was found satisfactory. This veneer II can be exceedingly thin,since it carries substantially no weight or strain. It may cover thefront l2 of the filler plate I0 as well as its edges [3.

Upon this front veneer II are carried, though indirectly, the upstandingfluorescent letters or devices It shown with flat sides. To thus carrythe letters It the veneer II is shown as carrying opaque double orbackground letters and devices 15, which are usually white so as toreflect back into the devices I! any light which strikes the backgroundletters I5. Where this light strikes the upstanding letters I4 itusually falls on enough of the fluorescent materials to decidedly alterthe apparent color of the upstanding letters l4, perhaps because thereflected light is transmitted light, whereas the other light by whichthe upstanding letters l4 are viewed is mostly reflected light. Manyfluorescent bodies, as is well known, present an appearance bytransmitted light very different from their appearance by reflectedlight.

In the form shown the upstanding letters M are made of sheet materialabout /25 inch thick and stand slightly over inch high. The backgroundletters I5 have been found satisfactory as shown, when of the samebreadth, viz., slightly over ,4; inch across. Even broader backgroundletters have been found useful.

For many purposes the best results have been obtained when the veneer IIwas black, backed with a black filler l0, and the background letters l5were of white opaque cellulose acetate thick enough to completely hidethe black veneer l I.

For some purposes some of the upstanding letters It may be fluorescentred transparent cellulose acetate, and other upstanding letters ordevices l6 were fluorescent yellow or green.

Sometimes desired effects are obtained by substituting pale blue oranother reflecting color cellulose acetate for the background letters ordevices l5.

A blue veneer II is shown for the background of the letters IS, withflat white ornaments, l8.

The background letters may take the form of a continuous strip I9 ifdesired with an effect for letters I4 almost equal to the backgroundletters 15.

The sign may be readily hung, or be set up by a hinged bracket 20 whichturns on a pivot 2| on the filler Ill.

The cellulose acetate letters or devices H are easily and quickly moldedin suitable sections 22, 23, 24 by immersion in hot water when shapedwith the aid of metal or wood templets or tracks, and the backgroundletters 15 are easily cut with steel rule dies.

The background letters l5 and upstanding letters I 4 when made ofcellulose acetate are readily secured by several of the commercialcelllllose acetate cements.

It is found that a bright artificial light will often give as efiectivea result as daylight. But the best artificial illumination is usually bya mercury arc.

Having thus described in some detail certain embodiments of theinvention, what is claimed is: 1. A sign including upstanding thinfluorescent letters adapted to cause partial but substantial lettersadapted to transmit some light and having light and having flat sidesand projecting from the base, and a separate opaque white reflectingbackground carried on the base for each of the illumination of theletters by transmitted light.

4. A sign including a black base, upstanding transparent thin sheetcellulose acetate letters including fluorescent material, and an opaquewhite reflecting background for each letter adapted to deflect light inpart onto and through the acetate letters to cause partial fluorescenceby transmitted light.

5. A sign including a black base, upstanding transparent thin sheetcellulose acetate letters including fluorescent material, adapted tofluoresce in one color, other upstanding transparent sheet celluloseacetate devices including fluorescent material adapted to fluoresce inanother color, and an opaque white cellulose actate reflectingbackground for each letter and device adapted to reflect light in partonto and thmugh the upstanding acetate to cause partial fluorescence bytransmitted light.

CAMILLO MARINONE.

